Go Green!

In honor of Earth Day, I think it is a good idea for all of us to take a moment and consider the simple changes that can be made in our everyday lives to reduce our ecological footprint. We have really tried to incorporate environmentally friendly products and take steps to reduce our waste in the past year, but almost every day I come across something that I wouldn't have thought to recycle, or that I wouldn't think to switch to an earth friendly product, so I know that there is so much more out there that we can do. Here are some of our ideas, and please add anything that I've missed.

* Riding public transportation (at least Phil does!)
* Recycling - that includes the plastic containers that your plants come in from Home Depot, your cereal boxes, cardboard shipping boxes, junk mail, newspapers, and of course your plastic bottles, coke cans and the other usual stuff, oh and check the lid, they are often recyclable as well.
* Switching to organic or locally grown foods. Better for you, better for the environment. Organic produce keeps chemical pesticides out of our water supply (and out of your body!), while locally grown foods reduce the pollutants created from shipping across countries and as a bonus, they help stimulate our local economy. Whole Foods has a great selection of organic and locally grown products, while mainstream grocery stores are starting to carry many more organic options.
* Get rid of harsh chemical cleaners in your house. Look for words such as biodegradable and chlorine and phosphate free. Some of my favorite brands are 7th Generation, Biokleen and Mrs. Meyers. Vinegar is one of the best cleaners out there and it is cheap and non-toxic. Use 1 part water and 1 part vinegar for a great all purpose cleaner. And if you need a soft scrub, add baking soda.
* Switch to all natural and organic lawn and garden products. Chemical fertilizers pollute our water supplies. There are several local organic nurseries in the area, although Rhode's is the only one I've been to. http://www.beorganic.com/
* Buy reusable grocery bags. Whole Foods has great bags made out of recycled plastic bottles that they sell for $1. We use the produce bags when we take the dogs on a walk (enough said!)

There is so much that we haven't done that we would like to do, but awareness is the first step. We can all make a difference if we try!